Printing medium



Nov. 7, 1939. 1 E 'ALEXANDER 2,179,168

PRINTING MEDIUM Filed April 4, 1938 use JANUARY m9 Sun. Mon. Tue. Wed. Thu. Fri. Sat bfll' 3 4 5 6.7 a'

- ECias fllemrnde 5 fi W IATTORNEK Patented Nov. 7, 1939 UNITED STATES PRINTING MEDIUM Elias Alexander, London, England Application April 4, 1938, Serial No. 200,034 In Great Britain April 6, 1937 6 Claims.

This invention relates to advertisements, calendars and other printed matter.

The invention has for object to provide a novel calendar, advertising show-card, display sheet, book or the like which is attractive by reason of its containing an element of mystery inasmuch as one or more parts of the printed matter on the calendar, show-card or the like can be removed by rubbing or efiaced by friction so as to produce a change in the appearance. Another object of the invention is to provide an intriguing calendar, advertisement card or other printed sheet having parts concealed by a removable covering, thereby tempting the user to explore with a view to ascertaining what may be concealed below the covering medium. Other objects will hereinafter appear.

The present invention consists of a method of preparing printed matter by concealing the whole or parts of the printed and/or blank, areas by covering them with a medium such that'when dried this medium can be removed by rubbing in order to reveal the concealed areas. The medium preferably employed is rubber latex of suitable consistency for application for example by ordinary printing machinery.

The invention is hereafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 shows a monthly calendar leaf.

Fig. 2 shows a fragment of a similar calendar leaf having the dates printed in one colour but concealed by overprinting in another colour; Fig. 3 shows the same with two of the dates revealed in the under colour.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modification.

Fig. 5 shows a printed and concealed design partly revealed by removing the covering from the right hand part.

Fig. 6 shows a printed design in which additional details overprinted thereon have been removed from the right hand side so as to change the appearance.

Referring to Fig. 1, the calendar leaf shown consists of a card a having printed thereon in black or other ink of a permanent nature the usual particulars of the year, month and days of the week; the numerals representing the dates of the thirty-one days beginning on Sunday, January 1st, and ending on Tuesday, January 31st, as seen in the spaces b, are printed with a dessicative medium consisting of rubber latex, of a suitable consistency for the printing process employed. This medium, when dried, can be removed by rubbing with the fingers, without damage to the surface of the card. The medium may be coloured or pigmented as desired, for example with a black pigment, and it is so treated, for example by the incorporation of an eosin solution of suitable strength, as to leave a stain upon the surface of the card after the 5 medium has been removed by rubbing, as indi cated for example in the case of the date 10, where the outline of. the numerals removed is visible as a stain, for example of red colour; thus it is possible to mark a future date to indicate 0 a coming event, or to mark off the successive days as the month lapses.

Fig. 1 also embodies a modification in which the four blank spaces 0 following the date 31 are printed in permanent ink of a different col- 15 our, for example blue, to represent the first four dates of the next month (February), these four spaces being overprinted with a medium (indicated by the rectangles d) which conceals the dates in question; this medium consisting pref- 20 erably of rubber latex containing an opaque pigment, can be removed at will by rubbing with the fingers so as to reveal one or more of the hidden dates, as indicated in the case of the date 4 representing Saturday, February 4th; thus the date of the first Saturday in the month of February can be ascertained without possibility of mistake. The medium applied to these four spaces may also contain a red stain, so that its removal by rubbing will reveal the concealed date 30 or dates, together with outlines of the original covering medium, as indicated by the rectangle d in the last space.

Fig. 2 represents a fragment of a similar calendar leaf having the dates printed in ink of a 35 permanent nature, for example red, but overprinted with a rubber latex medium of a different colour, for example blue, as indicated at 6. By rubbing away the covering medium the underlying date can be revealed, as indicated in the 0 case of the dates 1 and 2 in Fig. 3, these two dates then appearing in a colour (red) contrasting strongly with the remaining dates in the original colour (blue); thus the successive dates can be changed in colour to indicate the lapse 45 of the days of. the month, or again it is possible to mark a future date in a contrasting colour to indicate a coming event.

In a modification illustrated in Fig. 4, the dates are printed in thin lines in black ink for ex- 50 ample, and overprinted to a greater width, as indicated at ,f, with a latex medium containing a black pigment. The medium also contains a red stain which is left behind on the surface when the medium is rubbed away, as indicated in the 55 case of the date "10, the red stain then forming a coloured frame round the black printed numeral of. the date; it is thus possible to mark a future date in a manner contrasting with the intervening days of the month. If desired, the

stain employed may be of a fugitive nature which disappears after exposure to light, so that after two or three days the marked date will lose its coloured frame and appear like the other dates in black.

Fig. 5 represents the design of a bowl or cup g applied to the surface h by any suitable mechanical reproduction in one or more colours, this design being covered With a latex medium 2' of opaque or semi-opaque nature which renders the details of the original design indistinguishable until the covering medium is rubbed away, as indicated at the right hand side of the figure. Alternatively the medium may be transparent but coloured in such a way as to disguise the underlying design, the latter becoming visible in its true colours only after removal of the covering medium.

Fig. 6 shows a design printed in permanent ink, as indicated at 7' on the right hand side of the figure, with added details overprinted in rubber latex medium to produce the modified design is as seen on the left hand side; the added details can be removed by rubbing away the g latex medium over the Whole design, thus changing the character or expression of a face for example from a sad to a jolly one.

The invention may be utilized in the production of books, games and other printed matter, in addition to the examples previously indicated, and the printing may be applied to surfaces other than paper and card, for example to textile materials, wrapping films, and veneers.

What I claim is:

1. A print comprising a surface having matter printed on said surface with a permanent medium, and other matter printed on said surface with a rubber latex medium, said rubber latex medium being adapted for removal by rubbing in a dry state.

2. A display device, comprising a surface bearing a printed design, and a covering skin concealing part of said design, said skin being composed of a rubber latex medium applied by printing and adapted for removal by rubbing in a dry state,

3. A display device, comprising a surface bearing a printed design, and isolated patches concealing parts of said surface, said patches being composed of a rubber latex medium of substantial thickness applied by printing and adapted for removal by rubbing in a dry state.

4. A display device, comprising a surface bearing a printed design, and a covering skin concealing part of said design, said skin being composed of a rubber latex medium applied by printing and containing an ingredient for staining said surface at the concealed part of said design, and said skin being adapted for removal by rubbing in a dry state, so as to reveal the concealed part of said design and the stained part of said surface.

5. A calendar leaf having dates printed thereon with a rubber latex medium adapted for removal by rubbing in a dry state, said medium containing an ingredient for staining the surface of said leaf, and the stained surface being revealed by removal of said medium.

6. A calendar leaf having matter printed thereon with a permanent medium and other matter printed thereon with a rubber latex medium, said rubber latex medium including an ingredient for staining said leaf in the vicinity ofsaid other printed matter, and said rubber latex medium being removable by rubbing in a dry state so as to reveal the stained area of said leaf.

ELIAS ALEXANDER. 

